ResultsBLOOMSBURG, Pa. – Seeking the program's first ever women's tennis conference championship, the Crimson Hawks fell victim to a strong outing by California (Pa.) as IUP lost to the Vulcans 5-0 in the 2015 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championship on Saturday at Bloomsburg University.
It was the fifth straight year that these two teams have met for the PSAC title, with Cal getting the best of the Crimson Hawks each time.
The Vulcans (14-3) took control early in the match, with Kiefer Shaw and Jesse Burrell defeating
Tanya Timko (Cannonsburg, PA/Chartiers-Houston) and
Jarka Petercakova (Bratislava, Slovakia/Sport Gymnasium) 8-2 at first doubles.
Luise Von Agris (Castrop-Rauxel Germany/Adalbet-Stifter-Gymnasium) and
Rachel Wood (Nottingham, U.K./West Bridgrord) then fell victim to Ramona Czakon and Mariela Sarinana 8-1 at two while
Sophie Butland (Taunton, Somerset U.K./Bishop Fox's Community School) and
Alanna McFail (Fort Washington, Md. /St. John's College ) lost to Lena Dimmer Veronika Mikulis by a score of 8-4 at three.
Two of the three doubles matchups featured regionally-ranked opponents, as the Shaw/Burrell and Timko/Petercakova game was a battle of No. 1 vs. No. 2 in the Atlantic. At two, Czakon/Sarinana is ranked fifth in the region while Von Agris/Wood is sixth.
In singles play, IUP's (17-7)
Raquel Gonzalez (San Sebastian, Spain/Colegio Sagrado Corazon) fell to Lena Dimmer 6-2, 6-0 at three and Butland lost to Sarinana 6-4, 6-1 at four, the match clincher.
The championship match featured the top two teams in the latest Atlantic Region rankings.
The next step for the Crimson Hawks is the Atlantic Region tournament, where they are expected to serve as one of two hosts. The regoinal championships will take place on Saturday and Sunday, May 2-3. The winners of each of the two Atlantic Regional sites will advance to the NCAA Division II round of 16 in Surprise, Ariz. on May 13-16.
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk.
